Container



Aug. 25, 1964 J STENGLE, JR 3,145,868

CONTAINER Filed July 19, 1962 FIG. 2

FIG. 1

I INVENTOR.

EDWARD J. STENGLE WKWQ- W. X W

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,145,868 CONTAINER Edward J. St'engle, Jr., Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed July 19, 1962, Ser. No. 211,024 3 Claims. (Cl. 215-43)- This invention relates generally to a composite container and more particularly to the combination of a tumbler, a threaded ring encircling said tumbler and a closure adapted to engage such ring cooperating to form the container.

In the marketing of goods such as liquid detergents, liquid hand creams, bath powder, food, or the like, it has long been customary to supply these goods to the consumer in a glass, plastic, or metal container which is discarded. when the contents are gone. This practice limits the use of such a container to but one purpose, to wit: storing the material contained therein from the place of packaging to the place of ultimate use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a composite container of such a construction that at least a part of the container may be of additional and continued use to the ultimate consumer after it has served the purpose of mere storage.

In the marketing of goods the use of premium items to provide additional incentive for the consumer to purchase the primary goods has been extremely successful. With this in view, it is a further object of this invention to provide a container wherein the premium item forms a part of the container itself.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a composite container which is the combination of a tumbler, a threaded plastic ring adapted to encircle such tumbler, and a closure adapted to engage said ring. The combination may be used first to contain a product placed therein and then, when such product is gone, may have the ring easily removed leaving as a premium the tumbler.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the following drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the composite container of the present invention with the cap removed; and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the top of a tumbler encircled by a threaded plastic ring and engaged by a closure.

In brief, the container of the present invention comprises a tumbler having a body portion terminating at one end in an open mouth, an externally threaded ring encircling said tumbler near the open mouth, and a threaded closure adapted to engage said ring.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is shown a tumbler having a body portion 11 and a lower end portion 12 forming a closed bottom. In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1 the body portion 11 has a frusto-conical shape which is larger at the top than at the bottom. The body portion 11 terminates at its upper end in an annular rim 13 which defines the periphery of an open mouth.

Near the rim 13 there is shown a molded-plastic ring 14 encircling the tumbler. The ring 14 is formed with external threads 15. A screw type closure 17 (FIG. 2) may be secured to the ring 14 to close the composite container. The diameter of the ring 14 at the threads 15 is larger than the rim 13 of the tumbler in order that the rim 13 will not interfere with the application of the closure 17 to the ring. The ring 14 has an inner surface 16 which conforms to the outer surface of the wall 11 3,145,868 Patented Aug. 25, 1964 ice and Which is of such a size that it cannot slide over the rim 13 of the tumbler.

By placing the screw type closure on the plastic ring .14 when the ring is encircling th upp P i of the tumbler, the ring 14 will be drawn upwardly towards the rim 13 of the tumbler. Such movement causes the inner surface 16 of the ring: 14 to tightly engage the outer surface of the body portion 11 of the tumbler, thereby assisting in sealing the. composite container. If desired, additional s aling may be gained by providin a gasket 18 in the closure 17- which will contact the rim 13 when th closure is screwed tightly on the ring 14.

Although the tumbler .10 illustrated in FIGURE 1 is shown as having a straight element from top to t m by virtue of its frusto-conical shape, it should be understood that the use of a tumbler having a straight line element from top to bottom is not essential in this embodiment as almost any shape tumbler will work.

For example, the tumbler 10 could have its body portion formed in the shape of a cylinder. In that event, it may be desirable that the rim 13 of the tumbler be formed as an enlarged bead. The inside diameter of the ring would be substantially the same as the outside diameter of the body portion of the tumbler but smaller than the outside diameter of the enlarged bead. The plastic ring is then held against the bead of the tumbler when the closure is torqued down rather than against the wall of the tumbler as in the frusto-conical tumbler of FIG. 1. However, it should be apparent that even though the body portion of the tumbler is cylindrical, the closure and ring may be secured to a tumbler formed without a bead. Any tendency of the ring 14 to be drawn over the open end of such cylindrical tumbler 10 by the application of the closure thereon may be overcome either by forming the ring from material which has a tendency to cling to glass or by tapering the threaded portion of the closure and the threaded portion of the ring in such manner that tightening of the closure on the ring compresses the ring against the side of the tumbler. If desired, the ring may be formed from heat shrinkable material and shrinkably secured to the tumbler.

Where the shape of the tumbler so warrants, as in the frusto-conical shape of FIG. 1, adhesive may be applied to the inner surface of the ring to prevent the ring from sliding down when the closure is removed. After the container is emptied, the user may remove the closure and the ring and have as a premium the tumbler.

The tumbler, while disclosed as being made of glass, could be made of some other materialthe only criteria as to the physical qualities of the tumbler being that it have sutficient wall rigidity so that it will not become deformed upon torquing of the closure on the ring. Further, it should be obvious that other types of containers, such as stemware for example, could be used in place of the tumbler.

Likewise, the ring, while disclosed as being made of plastic, could be made of some other material possessing the required properties of hardness, strength, and dimensional stability. In plastics, any polymer or copolymer possessing the above properties will be satisfactory. Although the ring preferably is of solid, one piece construction, it should be understood that a one-piece split ring or a multiple-piece partible ring could also be used, provided that the ring and the mouth end of the tumbler are of such configuration that application of the closure to the ring secures the ring to the tumbler. If a partible ring is used, means may be provided to fasten the sections together.

It can be easily seen from the foregoing description that this invention provides a novel composite container 3 of simple construction which may be produced competitively with other containers.

Numerous modifications may be made in this container without departing from its spirit and scope which is to be limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A composite container comprising in combination: a tumbler having a substantially rigid wall defining a body portion, said body portion terminating at its upper end in an open mouth, said wall flaring outwardly at its upper end; a ring adapted to be placed over the lower end of said tumbler and raised therearound until contacting the outer surface of said outwardly flaring upper end wall, said ring having a threaded outer surface; and a threaded cap adapted to fit over said mouth to engage said ring and draw the same into sealing engagement with the body portion of said tumbler.

2. A composite container comprising in combination: a tumbler having a substantially rigid frusto-conical shaped body portion increasing in cross sectional size towards its upper end, said upper end defining an open mouth; a ring encircling said tumbler, said ring having an inner surface shaped to conform to the outside of said body portion and a threaded outer surface, the cross sectional size of said outer surface being larger than the cross sectional size of said open mouth; and a threaded closure adapted to fit over said mouth to engage said ring and draw the same into sealing engagement with the body portion of said tumbler.

3. A composite container comprising in combination: a tumbler having a substantially rigid body portion terminating at its upper end in an open mouth of circular crosssection; a ring having an inner surface shaped to conform to the outside of said body portion in the vicinity of said open mouth and having a threaded outer surface; and a closure having an inner threaded surface adapted to engage said ring, at least one of said threaded surfaces being tapered so that the tightening of the closure on the ring compresses said ring against the body of said tumbler.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,270,018 Davis Jan. 13, 1942 2,448,569 Allen Sept. 7, 1948 2,904,837 Crabbe Sept. 22, 1959 3,027,034 Christian Mar. 27, 1962 

1. A COMPOSITE CONTAINER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A TUMBLER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID WALL DEFINING A BODY PORTION, SAID BODY PORTION TERMINATING AT ITS UPPER END IN AN OPEN MOUTH, SAID WALL FLARING OUTWARDLY AT ITS UPPER END;A RING ADAPTED TO BE PLACED OVER THE LOWER END OF SAID TUMBLER AND RAISED THEREAROUND UNTIL CON- 